Cost Per Click (CPC)

Cost per click (CPC) is the price you pay each time someone clicks on one of your paid advertisements. It is one of the most common pricing models in digital advertising, used across platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Facebook Ads. CPC is calculated by dividing total ad spend by the number of clicks received.

CPC matters in GTM operations because it directly impacts the cost-efficiency of your paid acquisition channels. In B2B, where customer acquisition costs are already high, keeping CPC under control while maintaining traffic quality is essential for positive unit economics. A $50 CPC on LinkedIn might be acceptable if it drives qualified enterprise leads, but the same CPC for low-intent traffic is a waste.

CPC varies dramatically by platform, industry, and keyword competitiveness. Google Ads for B2B software keywords can range from $5 to $50+ per click. LinkedIn Ads typically run $5-$15 per click for B2B audiences. The absolute CPC number matters less than the downstream economics — what matters is cost per lead, cost per opportunity, and ultimately cost per customer.

For example, if you spend $10,000 on Google Ads with a $25 CPC, you get 400 clicks. If 5% convert to leads, that is 20 leads at $500 cost per lead. If 10% of those leads become opportunities, you have 2 opportunities at $5,000 each. Whether that math works depends entirely on your average deal size and close rate.

The key to managing CPC effectively is tracking it alongside conversion metrics all the way to revenue. Analytics that connect ad spend to pipeline and revenue let marketing teams optimize for business outcomes rather than just click volume, shifting budget to the keywords and audiences that actually produce ROI.